overstate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
overstates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overstated,
past participle, past
-
overstating
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overstatesimple
-
overstatessimple
-
have overstatedperfect
-
has overstatedperfect
-
am overstatingprogressive
-
are overstatingprogressive
-
is overstatingprogressive
-
have been overstatingperfect progressive
-
has been overstatingperfect progressive
Past
-
overstatedsimple
-
had overstatedperfect
-
was overstatingprogressive
-
were overstatingprogressive
-
had been overstatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overstate
Explanation
To overstate is to exaggerate or place too much importance on something. Your parents may overstate the dangers of driving on icy roads to scare you into being extra careful. If you want your brother to help you move some furniture, you might overstate how much your back hurts. And, if you're ready for lunch but your friend is dawdling, you'll be tempted to overstate how cranky you get when you're hungry. More seriously, politicians have been known to overstate the threat of terrorism or other dangers in order to gain support for a bill or a candidate.
Vocabulary lists containing overstate
"Ad Power," "Without Commercials," and "What's Wrong with Advertising"
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“Mandatory Vaccination is Not the Answer to Measles” by Bob Sears
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Bunnicula
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Vermeij believes it's possible to overstate the significance of the leaks.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
While economists view this threshold as largely symbolic, the sheer magnitude is hard to overstate, dwarfing the entire annual output of the U.S. economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Analysts say statements such as Khezrian’s overstate the case, but they nevertheless acknowledge the axis has proved more resilient than expected.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
"We also can't overstate the importance of the patient population and their involvement in developing therapies and their dedication to understanding their disease."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
Yet it would be nearly impossible to overstate Lyell’s influence.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Of the 130 companies scored, roughly half showed meaningful AI activity by any measure — but even that overstates it.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
The May headline number alone overstates the slowdown in single-family construction, the kind of houses most public builders construct.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
That phrasing wildly overstates the case, perhaps conveying the impression that there is some voter fraud, even an uncomfortable amount, but just not enough to sway an election.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
Mr. McGinnis overstates the importance of giving by the rich as well.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
It also overstates the importance of rare geniuses, such as Watt and Edison.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
However, some in the AI industry have suggested the fears around it destroying humanity are overstated or may even be designed to generate hype.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
The economists caution that this doesn’t necessarily mean the BLS has solved its problems, and that the risk remains that job growth since last March is being overstated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Now the agency said job creation during the one-year period was overstated by a combined 79,000, putting the increase at just under 200,000.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
"We think both things are true, in part, but should not be dramatically overstated at this point."
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Neolithic Revolution is the invention of farming, an event whose significance can hardly be overstated.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
I haven’t finished reading the book yet, but I think the authors might be overstating their case.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
At the same time, she cautioned against overstating the gender differences.
From MarketWatch ● May 21, 2026
Molyneux has previously come under fire from fans and critics alike for overstating game features and getting carried away with ideas.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
Microsoft’s comments could help relieve concerns that large technology companies are overstating the useful life of Nvidia chips and other AI processors that power their data centers.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
Tuve’s indignation revived Lawrence’s defensiveness: “It would seem,” Ernest replied, “that you are overstating things a bit with the remark that you are unable to check a single one of our observations.”
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
